#crimefighting pays

[oldmannapping]

HC: The Batfam’s secret identities keep nearly being exposed through dumb mistakes, and citizens all over Gotham are constantly signing NDAs printed on ridiculously formal Bat insignia letterhead.

Tim: Used his Coffee Club rewards card for a free espresso as Red Robin, forgetting it was linked to his civilian identity because it was 3am and he was running on 42 hours without sleep.

Steph: Used her personal phone to tap-and-pay at Batburger with Cass. Bruce got pissy but she’s like, “Who accepts cash in a post-pandemic world, Mr Out Of Touch?” Used the experience to bargain a work phone out of Bruce.

Dick: Poses the exact same way in selfies with fans as both Nightwing and Dick Grayson. “What? Is it a crime to know my angles? I’m not apologising for having a good side!”

Damian: Constantly threatening people in League dialect as Robin and at school. It’s like a super niche language. People notice.

Jason: Grabbed one of his Red Hood jackets because it was cold and accidentally pulled out two grenades and a gun when asked for ID at the bar.

Duke: Straight up used his Signal powers to find something at the back of his locker at school. Like just lit up the hallway. “I thought I was alone!”

Cass: Took out cash from the ATM as a civilian for Batburgers with Steph, and paid as Black Bat. Someone at the bank traced the serial number of the bill and ATM surveillance footage. Batman declared that this wasn’t Cass’s fault and gave her another $50.

Alfred: Outsourced some of the superhero suit laundering to a professional company because he’s ONLY ONE MAN for god’s sake, and sometimes he needs an afternoon off.

Bruce: Literally just keeps adopting kids who look exactly like all the new crimefighters who help Batman. Has a massive public profile and just. Keeps syncing up families with Batman? People are like uhhh is he expecting us not to notice, or?

And all of them have accidentally posted to the wrong social media account at some point.

[nightwingapologist]

Rlly want to write a fic where Jason ends up on another earth where Bruce does kill the Joker but totally loses himself in the process and the family falls apart. Bruce is a totally wreck and while he’s still a crimefighter it’s a level of brutality even Jason doesn’t approve of. But on this world he never comes back from the dead so when other Bruce meets Jason, Bruce is overjoyed and Jason finally feels the love he ways always looking for from his Bruce. BUT the sick and twisted thing is that it’s other Bruce’s love and grief that has driven him to such violence so basically Jason has to come to terms with the fact that his relationship with his father is the price to pay for Gotham’s safety and when he goes back to his home earth he’s just dejected because he knows there will never be a happy ending for him and Bruce.

[macgyvermedical]

Hi! For the pharmaceutical history: I'd like to know more about the history of loratadine. (If that one's boring, I'm sorry - I'm just really curious about allergy medicine history) Hope you're doing good!

Loratadine (Claritin, approved in 1988) was not the first nonsedating (second generation) antihistamine, but it wanted to be. Terfenadine (Seldane, from a competing manufacturer, approved in 1985) was the first. And because terfenadine got to the FDA just ahead of loratadine, loratadine was put on the FDA's backburner, delaying it's entrance to the market by over 3 years.

Loratadine made up for this by marketing the absolute sh*t out of their drug. If you were watching TV or reading magazines in the late 80s or early 90s, you probably remember. Loratadine was prescription only at the time. But direct-to-consumer advertising still had rules. By the early 1990's you couldn't have an ad that was selling a drug without a list of the side effects. And when you're trying to sell a non-drowsy antihistamine on the merit that it was non-drowsy, having to list the fact that the #1 side effect was still drowsiness didn't go over so well. This wasn't an issue in print so much- you could make the print about the side effects as small as you wanted, and who was going to read 3-pt font? But you couldn't do the same in a TV spot.

This was a problem for the company selling Claritin. So instead of making TV ads for the DRUG Claritin, they decided to sell the BRAND Claritin instead. So the ads just never said that Claritin was a drug, or what it did. They just said things like "Claritin is the non-drowsy brand" and "ask your doctor about Claritin" and the ever popular "live Claritin clear."

"But Ross," you might be asking yourself, "whatever did Claritin do to sell to the previously untapped market of children as drug consumers? I simply must know!" Well, you're in luck, because in 1998, and this is real, they released a 12-page Batman comic centered around Tim Drake having allergies that interfered with his crimefighting career. All other antihistamines made him too drowsy, so thank goodness he went to his doctor to get a prescription for Claritin!

You might also be wondering how insurance companies felt about having to pay for on-patent allergy medication (spoiler alert, they hated it, just like they hate paying for everything). Well, also in 1998, Anthem (the insurance company) petitioned the FDA to approve Claritin as an over-the-counter medication. If a medication was over the counter, they wouldn't have to pay for the medication, nor would they have to pay for the associated doctor's visits to get prescriptions for the medication. The FDA approved the petition, but it wasn't until 2002, when the patent had expired, that the company that made Claritin finally released an over the counter version. Even today, though, over the counter loratadine is so much more expensive than other second generation antihistamines. I couldn't figure out why this is, or why people keep buying brand name Claritin when there's like 5 other cheaper non-drowsy antihistamines to choose from.

Finally, I'll wrap up by telling you about the fate of terfenadine. See, turns out terfenadine is super cardiotoxic, especially when combined with certain antibiotics. It got taken off the market in 1997 after quite a few people died. It was replaced with fexofenadine, a metabolite of terfenadine without the cardiotoxic properties.

[t4tails]

"The Riddler is canonically a metrosexual saphiophile" is such an awful combination of words...DC canon is making such fascinating decisions all day every day...at least he's also canonically bisexual.

metrosexual sapiophile bisexual who pays two dominatrixes to hang out with him while he frantically tries to get somewhere with the crimefighting, leather clad furry who routinely beats his shit in. normalest dc comics sexuality

[thesparkwhowalks]

Batman Jones

Real Name: Batman Jones

All Appearances: Batman #108 (1957)

"Some years ago", Batman came to the rescue of a couple whose car went out of control while driving to the hospital. In gratitude, Mr. & Mrs. Jones named their son Batman, and it made the paper as a human interest story. Folks who wanted to thank the Caped Crusader for his help started showering gifts on his namesake, figuring it to be a nice way to pay tribute to a man who manifestly refuses rewards and gifts.

By the time he was a schoolboy (the story never specifies an age for Jones, but he's drawn noticeably smaller than the then-teenage Robin), Batman Jones was utterly obsessed with his namesake. He wore his own Batsuit, road around on a custom Bat-Bike, and his mom called him home with a mini Bat Signal. This was all harmless good fun until he decided to start following the Dynamic Duo around.

Batman & Robin do everything they can to dissuade him from crimefighting, citing it as too dangerous for a kid (a message undercut by Robin...existing, really). The problem is that the kid is good. Forbidden from assisting Batman & Robin from searching for a stolen statue? He organizes his friends into a wide-ranging game of hide and seek to find it first. Taken to the Batcave to be scared straight in the trophy room? Correctly figures out the solution to every hypothetical on the first try. Batman & Robin are at a loss to figure out how to dissuade the kid...

Until the show up at his house to find all his Batman stuff gone. He's into stamps now, Batman's old news. And the Dynamic Duo breathe a sight of relief.

This story has only gotten funnier as Batman's family has grown to include multiple "Like, really smart but not circus folk or street kids" teens as junior partners.

[batmannotes]

Coming to Blu-ray on June 14th from the Warner Archive Collection!

New 2024 1080p HD masters from 4K scans of the original camera negatives.

THE FLASH (1990-91)

6 BD-50 Disc Set

1088 Minutes

COLOR

16x9 1.33:1 with side mattes

DTS-HD MA 2.0 STEREO

English SDH

Cast: John Wesley Shipp, Amanda Pays, Alex Desert

Who-o-o-o-osh! The origins and exploits of the crimefighting DC Comics superhero come your way in this 22-episode live-action series, from the 1990-91 television season. John Wesley Shipp portrays Barry Allen, a police crime technologist endowed with sudden talents after a fluke lab accident. He pledges to use his new powers for good, powers that include ultra-speed reflexes and the ability to vibrate his molecules so rapidly he can pass through solid walls. Amanda Pays is medical researcher Tina McGee, who monitors Allen’s accelerated metabolism and guards his secret identity. The Tricksters, Captain Cold, the Ghost, mad inventors: Central City is rife with criminals. Now there’s a hero to keep pace with them. He’s called The Flash. And in our era of instant communications, he’s more in step with the times than ever.

[guardmagicskull]

Woah boy Anon you have no idea what you've just done

Basically the first change is that Zeus is actually a good caring God who wants to protect and help people, and that ended up having consequences for pretty much all other characters.

Zeus takes the form of a teacher at Harvey's University after he's had his accident, getting him the support he needs and harshly punishing those who bully him. Harvey with his help doesn't become bitter and vengeful, instead insisting that he's going to prove everyone wrong by doing good for the world through science and robotics.

Zeus turns into first mate onboard an honest merchant ship and convinces the captain to let Crawfish (who's just a kid at the time) becomes a junior officer. He very quickly proves his skill with ships, rises through the ranks, and eventually when the old captain retires Crawfish is given command of the ship instead. When his home port begins to struggle financially, he uses the ship to bring them supplies

Zeus makes himself curator of an art museum, and makes sure to catch Widow on her very first heist. Instead of turning her in, he encourages her to keep improving her art instead of stealing it from others, and also suggests that if she's good enough to sneak past all that security she could have a future as a crimefighter. She takes him up on it, and with his guidance becomes a secret agent using her public persona as a famous artist as cover.

But Mordred is the one things change the most drastically for.

Mordred's childhood going by King Arthur myths was really not good: His father is King Arthur (making Mordred kind of a prince actually!), and there's a prophecy that Mordred will grow up to overthrow him and destroy the kingdom. Arthur wants to stop that from happening but doesn't know which child is Mordred, only that he'll be born on May 1. So he finds all children born on that day and sends them out onto the sea to drown, where Mordred is the only survivor.

In my normal idea of the world, I'd imagine this is when he washes up on the shores of Astroknights where he later finds out the truth and tries to become king as it's "his right".

In the Hero AU Zeus instead decides to intervene because this whole situation is messed up. He takes baby Mordred to Astroknights himself and gives him to the King and Queen. They're horrified that another king would do something like that to his own child, and adopt Mordred as their own. He grows up as a prince, and becomes a brave and honourable knight.

He sees Elyana as his little sister and they're very close. But as they grow up, people start to pay less and less attention to Elyana in favour of Mordred since he's the oldest child and the one who will become ruler. He also begins to spend less and less time with her as he's busy learning how to be king. She's alone and upset, feeling like everyone has abandoned her.

She begins to resent Mordred for having "abandoned her just like everyone else", and angry that he "stole the throne" from her. Eventually after they get into a huge fight she escapes into space.

Everyone assumes Elyana died in space, and Mordred is absolutely heartbroken feeling like all of it is his fault. The cult pops up believing she actually survived, and Mordred joins them because he's desperate to find Elyana and being her back home safely. Instead when he manages to contact her she attacks the kingdom and takes him away because "if you're gone I can be queen".

The player rescues Mordred, and Astroknights mostly plays out the same. Except despite everything he still cares for her, and when the portal is about to close leaving her stranded in space he tries to turn back for her at the last second.

He has an arm and half his face in the portal when it closes on him. He turns himself into a cyborg to survive.

Following all of that, he doesn't want anything more to do with the kingdom. He's extremely upset and just wants to run away from all of it. He gets into a tiny boat and lets it carry him off into the sea not even knowing if he'll survive or not. He drifts close enough to the "modern islands" to be rescued.

Black widow is an agent, so she becomes involved in figuring out what the heck happened to this medieval robot man they found adrift at sea.

Harvey is one of the best scientists, so she gets him involved too because he's pretty much the only one who can figure out how to repair Mordred's robotics while he's in the hospital.

Crawfish had a similar situation to Mordred of sailing too far from home and being picked up by modern people, so he gets called in because he's pretty much the only one who can fully empathise with being lost in this strange new world.

Mordred's bad situation brings the four of them together, and they decide to stick together as heroes defending Poptropica.

[ohblackdiamond]

black and gold (kiss/endgame crossover, part 19 of ?)

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10 | part 11 | part 12 | part 13 | part 14 | part 15 | part 16 | part 17 | part 18

Prequel to “the end of the world tour.” Four ex-bandmates and even-more-ex-superheroes reunite in the aftermath of Thanos’ snap, and attempt to adjust.

In this chapter: "There’s shit I gotta get over. That’s what she’s telling me. I gotta do better. Be better. But I keep fucking up, you know? I keep fucking up."

After all their travels, Paul and Gene finally make it to Peter's house.

“FEMA Beneficiaries: Refugees and Rockers”

Associated Press, Chicago, Illinois

Celebrities have been the last thing on anyone’s mind lately. 

Some are tweeting-- apocalypse claims, government conspiracy theories. Some are donating, most especially Tony Stark of Stark Industries. But most have stayed silent, and stayed put.

Most. The road warriors of rock and roll, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, in what may be the most telling sign of the times yet, were seen in a FEMA breadline, both bearded and almost entirely unrecognizable. 

They paid for the food, before you ask. They’re traveling, they say, to Connecticut. Their path has been as fraught as any ordinary American’s; their tragedy is the world’s. Simmons and Stanley aren’t returning to their families. They have no families to return to.

Simmons is talkative enough, though Stanley is more aloof as they settle in to take a bite beneath a FEMA tent. Neither is dressed for the below-freezing weather, the seven-inch heels have taken a backseat to worn-out athletic shoes. Simmons notices my glance down.

“You like them? I was going to throw these to the crowd on the cruise,” he says. “They’re serving me better on my feet right now.”

Cruises may never happen again for years. The me-generation, franchise-heaving seventies excess that KISS once represented has never been more blatantly out of reach. Two weeks ago, I might have asked about album plans and tour stops, about Simmons’ recentish marriage and Stanley’s painting escapades. That’s irrelevant now.

I feel like just by spotting them beneath the tent, I’ve pulled the mask off the Lone Ranger. KISS exposed is just another reflection of the brave new world we’ve been saddled with, half a population struggling to survive. And yet, I’m craving. Maybe I want something to believe in among the ashes. A lunchbox superhero to greet me at the last days. Plastic-wrapped and pre-packaged. They can’t oblige-- their last crimefighting stint was in 1980-- but I’d like to see some vestiges. I’d like a little comfort.

Simmons scolds me, gently. The real heroes, in his opinion, are the FEMA workers, the healthcare workers, the law enforcement-- anyone, and everyone, who’s stepped up in the wake of the devastation. Not KISS. “We’re very ordinary, ultimately.”

“Like everyone else, we’re just trying to go home.” Stanley looks a bit surprised at his own words, then, quietly, elaborates. “We’re going to see our old bandmates.”

And what then? For once, even Simmons doesn’t have an answer. I can speculate-- Simmons in particular is known for charitable donations-- but I don’t know. At the end of the world, maybe going home is the best that they, or any of us, can do.

-- 

The road went on. Paul would drive for five hours at a time, then an hour of rest, then another five hours, then they’d sleep in parking lots or FEMA campsites or national parks. Once, they were able to wash their clothes, and twice they got to shower. 

They had run out of cash before they’d hit New England, but that didn’t matter much now that their cards were working again. They’d been eating mostly peanut butter sandwiches and whatever else they could pay for over the last several days. Gene was feeling himself falter, in odd, funny ways. Sometimes, with the lull of the motor, he could almost make himself pretend they were just on tour for a few foolish seconds, before he’d see a campsite or a pile of abandoned cars or a burnt-out building and remember. Pure escapism. 

“Gene?”

Paul reached out, patting his thigh. It was midmorning, and he was driving again. Gene stirred.

“We’re about three hours from Peter’s place, if the traffic doesn’t get any worse.”

“We better call him.” 

“Yeah. You… you go ahead and call.”

“Put it on speaker?” 

Paul inclined his head.

“Hey.” Ace’s voice was tinny.

“Hey. We should be here in about three more hours.”

“Good. Good. Lemme get Peter.” Ace didn’t cover the phone, though Gene hadn’t expected him to, and he could hear Ace yelling Peter’s name. Could practically feel Paul stiffen up as Peter’s voice came through the speaker. 

“Three hours?”

“Yeah. Hopefully.” Gene felt his lips start to raise in a battered attempt at a smile. “Don’t roll out the red carpet.”

“I won’t. Ace told me about the fucking truck.”

Paul mumbled a curse barely below his breath. 

“Do you need anything?” It felt a little stupid to ask. “We weren’t sure how much you’d been able to get out.”

“We ain’t been out at all, Gene.” 

God. Gene glanced sidelong at Paul, who didn’t glance his way. They both had to be going completely stir-crazy. They both used to get so antsy on tour when KISS had been stuck, really stuck, in their hotel rooms. Even Paul had succumbed once or twice to the standard rockstar antics, throwing all his furniture out the window in a fit of pique (and, Gene suspected, drunkenness).

“Is it really that bad out there?”

“You’d know better than us. Wouldn’t you?”

“Petey…” Ace again.

“Ace just won’t leave me here alone. I didn’t figure he’d be playing fucking nursemaid out here.”

“’M just trying to help.”

“Trying to–”

“We’ve got some loaf bread and canned goods, but we don’t have very much else. We’ll be bringing those. If there’s anything you need, we can try to get it.” Gene didn’t elaborate on how difficult it was to really get even basic staples, between the rioting and looting. The help from FEMA had been sluggish at best.

“We don’t need any–”

“Oranges,” Ace said.

“Oranges?” Paul, incredulous. “Are you kidding?”

“You don’t gotta go out of your way for ’em–”

“What do you want with oranges?”

“Well, I wanna eat ’em, Paul. Open my mouth and chew and swallow.” Ace’s tone was unusually dry. Not even the hint of a laugh in his voice. “They’re healthy.”

“You don’t ever  fucking quit, do you?” Peter snapped out.

“Peter, I didn’t mean–”

“We’ll try to get some oranges,” Gene said quickly. “We’ll see you soon.”

–

Paul was quiet from then on. It took longer than the three hours he’d been vying for. For whatever reason, Paul had gotten hellbent on those oranges, stopping in five different areas before he was able to garner a plastic bag full of them. 

“What’d you pay for those?” Gene asked, once they’d gotten back in the truck. Paul just winced and started up the motor.

“You don’t wanna know.”

“Why did you care that much about getting them?”

“You don’t wanna know that, either.”

“Try me.”

“She said there was a call for me if I wanted it.”

Gene started to ask who she was. Then he realized he probably knew. Paul must be in bad shape again, thinking of her, thinking he’d heard from her.

“I was trying so hard to figure it out. I was always figuring with her. She was like that.” Paul’s eyes were on the road. “But it’s obvious, isn’t it? The only calls I’m ever going to get now are from them. There’s shit I gotta get over. That’s what she’s telling me. I gotta do better. Be better. But I keep fucking up, you know? I keep fucking up.”

“Paul–”

“You know it’s true. I can’t help myself. Here I am about to stay at Peter’s house and I haven’t even talked to him one on one. What the hell is wrong with me? I know that guy. I-I know him. I fucking lived on the road with him for over ten years. God, I–”

“Paul–”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do when I see him.”

“You’re overthinking it. Stop.” Maybe it was too much of a brush off, but he thought, in his way, Paul might have appreciated it. He didn’t stiffen up the way he normally did when offended, at least, and after a bit, Paul reached over, touching Gene’s knee.

The road went on. The pavement’s endless stretch. Highways and interstates, on and on, in the hopes of something eternal. The road took Gene back, too, back to thinking about Peter, less abstractly now that the journey was ending.

Peter had always had the best taste. Which was funny, looking back-- the high school dropout of the group, who’d grown up the oldest of about half a dozen kids in the middle of Brooklyn, able to pick out the hippest outfits, the best designs. The best-looking women, arguably. The best-looking houses. His mansion in Greenwich, easily dwarfed though it was in comparison to Gene or Paul’s places, or even Ace’s old home in Wilton, had a class that nobody else’s place could even hope to have. It looked like it came out of a storybook, tucked within four acres of Connecticut forest. In the winter it looked like Currier and Ives; in the summer, it-- in the summer, it looked just as radiant. 

At least, that was how it used to be. 

The first thing Peter had done once the Reunion tour had started was buy that place back. That was Peter for you. Sentimentality incarnate. Everything like it was before. Paul had joked once, cruelly, that he’d been surprised Peter hadn’t done the whole damn house back up in wood paneling and shag carpets once it was his again. Even at the time, Gene had thought it was a hell of a thing for Paul to say while painting himself up in the makeup from twenty years prior.

Paul had turned off the GPS maybe fifteen minutes before they’d pulled into his driveway, evidently knowing the route far better than Gene would’ve ever anticipated. Peter’s place was on a private drive, though that had ceased to matter over the last few weeks. Looking at the house’s exterior now, it wasn’t dilapidated or even unkempt. Just older. The styling was giving its age away.

“You ready?”

Paul had already parked, but he hadn’t moved to even unbuckle himself. He had pulled down the vanity mirror, was staring at himself in silence. 

“We look like shit,” he said. 

“Ace and Peter aren’t gonna look any better.”

“We should’ve tried to get razors after shiva was over.” Paul ran his fingers over the heavy, coarse facial hair on his jawline, the gray streaks surprisingly far outnumbered by black, even now. “They’ve never seen me look this bad.”

“Paul, they aren’t gonna give a fuck right now.” 

“I do.”

“You are absolutely the vainest man I’ve ever met in my life.”

“It’s not just that. Gene, Ace hasn’t even left the house yet because of Peter. If Peter sees me looking like this, if he thinks I can’t hold it together, then– then maybe I can’t, maybe I won’t be able to–”

“You don’t have to. All you have to do is get out of the truck.”

Paul bit his lip and unbuckled his seatbelt, getting out of the truck in silence. Gene helped him take their luggage out of the back.

He’d thought it would feel so much more definite. Like all those moments where his life had turned on the tiniest hinge. The sight of Bill Aucoin in his smart suit, offering them a record contract inside of two weeks. The sight of his firstborn in the hospital, that head full of dark hair, those bright eyes.

The sight of four talismans in a velvet box. 

Paul was behind him, luggage handle in one hand, bag of oranges in the other. He was dragging the luggage carelessly up the brick front porch stairs, the wheels rattling against them in protest.  Gene hadn’t so much as reached for the door knocker before the door swung open. 

Ace. 

Ace, in jeans and a t-shirt and socks. His goatee was somewhat unkempt. No sunglasses– not that he expected him in them, but it had been years and years since Gene had seen him without them. No makeup, either. Ace’s skin was as bad as ever, sallow and scarred, a couple of pimples right on the side of one cheek. The poor alien bastard still had acne at sixty-three. 

Gene hugged him. Fully. It was the first time in years he had, without there being a show or a ceremony or a pile of fans with their phones trying to record the moment. Just shoved himself against him, arms wrapping tight around him. Ace buckled a bit, thrown off-balance as always, but he hugged him back in turn, face pressing briefly against his shirt, then pulling away. Gene felt Ace clasp a hand briefly against his back just before he let go. 

“Hey, Gene,” he said. “Hey, Paul. C’min.”

They stepped inside. Gene made room for Paul, who put an arm around Ace for a brief, quiet moment, and then pushed the bag of oranges into his hands. Ace’s expression changed a little then, became almost searching, before it faltered. 

“Where’s Peter?”

“He… he’s in the kitchen. Paul, he’s not–”

“I know.” Paul strode past them both, going past the entranceway and the dining room, heading straight for the kitchen. Ace followed a bit behind, then Gene, a weird quiver somewhere in the tips of his fingers, and in his throat. Peter’s place was still too familiar, even with some newer decor. Enough remnants of the past remained. A set of raku tea bowls Lydia’d bought him on tour in Japan was still in the armoire in the dining room. A faded photo of Peter from his First Communion was on a buffet table. And there behind the sink, next to the windowsill, was a tarnished silver ring dish in the shape of a cat, one paw up, its tail covered in an assortment of rings. Peter had had that since their third tour, a memento, though Gene couldn’t remember where he’d received it. His eyes were darting everywhere– the clean stovetop and microwave, the print of The Last Supper on the wall, the dirty plates on the table– everywhere except for at Peter. 

Peter, who was sitting down against the fridge, wrapped up in a blanket. He had shaved, but badly, white stubble peeking out in patches across his chin. He only barely lifted his head when they walked in.

“Pete,” Gene started. Peter shifted, putting out a hand against the floor, like he was about to brace himself and get up. But Paul got there first. Gene could barely believe it as he watched Paul crouch down, squat at first, before getting on his knees and putting an arm around him, there on the floor. 

Peter was crying. Gene had seen it a hundred times at least, but never like this. Not a shudder, barely a sound, just the tears. Paul held him there, rubbing his shoulder, without a murmur. Gene glanced at Ace, realizing suddenly that this was what Ace had been dealing with all this time, why Ace didn’t want to leave him alone. He was afraid for him, terribly so.

Paul let go once the tears seemed to stop, standing up a bit awkwardly. After a moment or two, Peter stood, too, after unraveling from the blanket. The effort of getting up made him grunt a bit, rubbing his back. He was in a t-shirt and pajamas. Gene hadn’t seen Peter in anything quite that casual in more than ten years. 

“You made it.”

“We made it.”

“You… Gene, you…”

Then Gene was holding him. Peter had never felt fragile to him before now. He was thin, those drummers’ arms all but gone when he grasped Gene’s waist. Gene could feel those shuddering breaths against him, but as Ace had done with Paul, Peter let go abruptly. 

(you’re feeling it)

(aren’t you?)

Gene didn’t know. All he knew was a peace and security that he thought he’d lost forever. All he knew was that he was sure he could make it now. Sure this was what they all needed. They had scraped together before. They could do it again. They would do it again. A few days together, maybe even a week or two, to… to get settled, to start to… reckon with themselves, with the world, to maybe… to maybe start to heal. Warmth melded with exhaustion in his bones as he pulled up a chair, sinking down into the seat. 

“Y-you can tell us the whole trip later,” said Peter quietly. “But you gotta shower first. Both of you stink.” 

“It’s Road Warrior,” Gene said, feeling the wobbling remnants of a smile skirt the edges of his face. “Very unique aroma, for the discerning traveler.”

“It’s B.O.,” Ace said, laughing harder than the statement merited, that old cackle, reaching over to clasp a hand on Gene’s back. “Ain’t got an excuse now, Geno. Get washed up. We’ll, we’ll make you some sandwiches or something, we…” 

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” As quickly as he’d come into the kitchen, Paul was darting out again, already headed for where Gene vaguely remembered the master bed and bath being. But he turned, calling over his shoulder, voice wobbling slightly. “You’re okay with us, right? You’ll let us–”

Ace shook his head.

“Christ, after all that, you want an invite, Paul? You were let in forty years ago.”

[littlemonstert-blog]

One of My Favorite DC Superheroes

Black Canary ( Dinah Laruel Lance)

Going of Mostly NewEarth and a bit of Rebirth ya'know if I go back to golden Age/Sliver Age it'll get messy. I might use it certain panels if i know its Dinah Laruel Lance

I love this l legacy street level hero.

She is the second Canary difference between the first is she has a metahuman ability of a sonic scream.

She's came a long way. Her father was a cop and her mother was a the first Black Canary. Dinah and her mother used to argue when her mother was villiante Justice Society Of America crime fighter that didn't have time for her. But somehow became a hero oh, the irony lmao.

Green Arrow LongBow Hunters:

She went through so much while investagating a missing person mixed with a cartle. She was kidnapped and tortured.

Dinah is looking better and eager to make them pay. Though Oliver says its too late. (Don't wanna spoil to much it's good story despite a few hiccups)

When Dinah came out of the hospital, she was still emotionally traumatized by the incident. She learned that she had lost her ability to perform her Canary Cry. Along with other scars.

After this, lot's things happen after that arc relationships ended, dealing with trauma getting better along they way, healing and self-discovery. What she's been through she still never gives up and keeps moving forward.

She kept training and bettering herself :

Trained by Batgirl, Wildcat, Nightwing, Wonder Woman, Connor Hawke, Mister Terrific, Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva. Many more

She's no slouch becoming one of the best fighters DC

Birds of Prey (1999) #61, #68, #74, #95, & #100

Birds of prey: Pretty fun run. A group of crimefighters mostly females but guys have joined to. Despite their ups and downs they would come back better than ever. Loved her moments between Huntress and Oracle.

Chairwoman in 2006’s Justice League of America. Cut short, I wish they were able to tell the story heard it was scrapped or cancelled.

Relationships:

Ollie & Dinah

I'll be honest I never really liked Green Arrow & Black Canary together. Never saw them as a iconic couple. So many issues with them as a couple. I'm liked, why are they together? Is it bad I want to see them be with other people.

When I read Green arrow comics is an okay hero to me has some good runs in my opinion he's has similarities to batman, only difference more altrustic and sarcastic but is more willing to kill and has killed. Green arrow & Black canary comics I'm just more intrested in Canary or other memebers of arrow instead.

Let them be with other people. I guarntee if another new earth or something happened lots a people wouldn't care. Example, it's the same with Batman & Catwoman though I love them together, I don't mind seeing them with other people.

To me, they worked well without each other. If they ever breakup again just because there not together anymore doesn't mean she's not apart of Team Arrow. Only three times I actcually liked them as a couple Justice Leaque Unlimted, Young Justice and Injustice.

JSA:

So much can be explore with her lore. Her connection to the JSA since her mother was once a memeber.

Ted aka Wildacat:

Another one:

Shiva & Canary they have a intresing dynamic. Clash of ideals yet they seemly to work well together. Shiva even suggested Dinah become her apprentice.

Gotham: Now, I know Gotham is more of Batman's. But irronically Dinah's father was a cop at Gotham and her mother was a crime fighter in Gotham to ( before batman's time). I feel like they should be brought up more in Gotham lore. Only time I seen it was in Harley Quin and the birds of prey

Edit extra Other stories:

Deathstroke Inc:

Deathstroke & Black Canary not a team up likely to happen but unusally fun while short. Just wish we had a Black Canary vs Deathstroke fight because she's grown so much. ( But this version Prime Earth seems more weaker than New Earth. PE seems to really a bit more on her canary cry) maybe next time.

Canary almost had another solo in DC robin round to me fair i saw alot intresting stories than this one. Still wish we got it though.

Hope I see more love and stories for my favorite blonde bare-knuckle brawler

Art by: Otto Schmidth

Going to be posting more dc character's I love.

[womanofwords]

Jester

Villain stood in front of the League of Heroes in handcuffs and leg shackles. “So, you’re probably wondering what’s going to happen to you now we’ve captured you,” Superhero drawled.

“Let me guess: the most secure jail that you can possibly find in all the land? Hard labour?” Villain yawned.

“Yeah . . . no. We have other plans for you. You’re going to be our jester, just like in the medieval times.” Villain’s jaw dropped as the other heroes snickered.

“So instead of punishing me or reforming me, you’re just going to . . . humiliate me?” Villain queried.

“Yes! Amazing, isn’t it?” Hero asked rhetorically, the other heroes laughing obnoxiously at their leader’s wonderful joke.

“Fine. But before I get changed, I want to know exactly how much you know about jesters. I’m not doing it unless you get it completely historically accurate.”

“They wear a dumb suit with bells and they entertain us. What’s there to know?” Other Hero scoffed.

“Are you providing the suit in question?” Villain asked.

“Yeah. Cost more than you’re worth.” The other heroes sniggered.

“And are you also going to keep me fed and accommodated?”

Hero smirked. “Yeah, you get three square meals a day and you sleep in a cold, hard cot in a cell in the basement. There’s your food and accommodation for you.” The heroes laughed harder.

“And payment?”

 The league of heroes burst out laughing. “I think you’ve already started your comedy routine! Payment!” Superhero chuckled and waited for Villain to say another joke.

“Nope. If we’re going to do this the way that it used to be done in medieval times, then you’re gonna have to pay me for my services, as well as acknowledging and giving me jester’s privilege.”

“Now you’re making up words,” Sidekick sneered, finally speaking up.

“No, I’m not. Jester’s privilege is the ability to say anything you want while insulting another person, and you don’t get punished because your words technically don’t matter,” Villain explained. “Will I have jester’s privilege while working for you?”

“Um . . .” Superhero was at a loss for words. On the one hand, having Villain as a court jester would be hilarious. On the other hand, Villain was a cruel person who knew a lot about them, and would not hesitate to use such things about them to mock them. Hurriedly, the League of Heroes had an impromptu meeting about what to do.

“We can’t give Villain jester’s privilege, they’ll ruin us,” Hero hissed.

“It’s the only way they’ll do it. Villain can and would beat us up if we don’t play along with them,” Other Hero hissed.

“Does that mean that Villain’s stronger than us?” Sidekick asked.

“NO!” everyone else yelled.

Do they know I can hear them? Villain wondered, standing there in handcuffs.

“We’ve decided you’re still going to be our jester,” Superhero said, smirking. “You start tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait,” Villain grinned.

The next day

Villain was easily able to ignore the laughs and the sarcastic whooping as he jingled over to the front of the makeshift court.

“Where do I start? How about with you, Sidekick? Mr Second Choice?”

“What?” Sidekick asked, feeling small. “What did you just say?”

“Mr Second Choice. It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Villain giggled as they stood on their hands. “Superhero was going to hire Other Sidekick, but they were drafted into a different crimefighting group, so they got you. I’ve always thought of you as Mr Second Choice.”

“What?” Sidekick turned to Superhero with rage. “You said I was the best you ever saw!”

“Oh, I guess they lied to you,” Villain grinned. The grin didn’t leave their face as Sidekick stormed out. “Speaking of lies . . . Other Hero! Why did you lie about those funds?”

“Huh?”

“The mysterious missing funds. Soon after the money went missing, you got yourself some fancy new gadgets.” Villain let a loud and exaggerated wolf whistle. “Wonder how much those cost.”

“IT WAS YOU?!” Superhero thundered. Other Hero shrank from their gaze. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAD LEFT? WE HAD TO REPLENISH IT WITH LAYOFFS!”

“I’m sorry!” Other Hero whimpered. “I’ll pay it back!” They whimpered as they scampered out of the room.

“And Hero! You adorable little thing!” Villain laughed. “I bet you’re really envying me right now, aren’t you?”

“What?! No, I’m not! Nobody is envying you!” Hero snapped. “Y-you’re dressed in a costume with bells on it!” They laughed, but anxiously.

“Really? I thought you’d like to have a costume? I know all about your little costume parties. How was it to dress as an adowable little kitten?” Villain grinned as they did a backflip. “Whoever did the face paint was amazing.” Hero rushed out of the room crying.

With Sidekick enraged, Other Hero terrified and Hero sobbing, Villain turned their attention onto Superhero. “It’s just you and me now, Superhero. Where do I start? The many women, the crimes that you commit, or the fact that you have the mayor hostage with some of his own scandalous secrets?”

Superhero didn’t pick an option. Superhero dragged away to prison, swapping out the jester outfit for a jumpsuit.

And as Villain sat in a cell not unlike the one that the League of Heroes were going to offer them, they smirked.

They’d finally broken the league that had rejected him so long ago.

[dankusner]

Sense of duty apparently drove suspect

Background check shows he stood up for Ukraine, woman

The man arrested on suspicion of possibly trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump spent his recent years in search of a mission — trying to muster a ragtag army to defend Ukraine and writing a book about his failed efforts, according to law enforcement officials and his online data trail.

Ryan Wesley Routh was taken into police custody Sunday while FBI agents scoured his car and examined his life for clues to his actions and possible motives, according to multiple law enforcement officials.

They spoke on the condition of anonymity to confirm the identity of the man who allegedly crouched outside a Florida golf course with a rifle while Trump played about 400 yards away.

Public records show Routh, 58, as living most recently in Kaaawa on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, at a property also linked to a person named Kathleen Shaffer.

No one answered when a Washington Post reporter called a number associated with the address on Sunday.

Supporting Ukraine

A blog on the crowdsourcing fundraising site GoFundMe, posted in 2022 by a Kathleen Shaffer, said she was raising funds to support her fiancé, Ryan, who “put his life at home on hold and traveled to Kyiv in April to support the people of Ukraine.

He plans on staying for at least 90 days and stays at a hostel with a military unit.”

Photos on the page show a slim, blond man resembling other pictures of Routh that have circulated online and in news accounts.

That blog said Routh was coordinating international volunteers and had helped “send 120 drones to the front lines. Wow!”

The page had collected pledges totaling $1,865 out of a goal of $2,500, which Shaffer said in the posting would go toward paying for flags, tactical gear, hostel lodging and other supplies for volunteers. Public records also show that Routh, originally from North Carolina, faced criminal charges for two separate incidents in 2002 for possession of a weapon of mass destruction.

He pleaded guilty to the first charge in April 2002, a court docket filing shows, though no other details were publicly available.

‘Super citizen’

He also was charged in December of that year, when, according to an account from the News & Record newspaper, Routh, armed with a machine gun, barricaded himself in a United Roofing building in Greensboro for three hours.

Authorities say the incident began after he was pulled over for a traffic stop.

Police ultimately arrested him without incident.

In that second case, he pleaded guilty to driving without a license and registration, resisting a public officer and carrying a concealed firearm, while the weapon of mass destruction charge was dropped, public records show.

That was a sharp departure from a younger Routh, profiled in the same newspaper in 1991 for his assistance in helping defend a woman against an alleged rapist. Routh, then 25, was wearing a coat and tie in a large photo accompanying the story.

He was dubbed a “super citizen” and awarded a Law Enforcement Oscar by the Greensboro chapter of the International Union of Police Associations.

The headline on the story: “Crimefighting pays.”

Last year, Routh was interviewed by The New York Times for a story about Americans’ often faltering efforts to provide military aid and support to Ukraine.

Routh told the paper that after spending several months in Ukraine in 2022, he planned to move Afghan soldiers who had fled from the Taliban to Ukraine to fight.

“We can probably purchase some passports through Pakistan, since it’s such a corrupt country,” he said in an interview from Washington.

Disillusioned author

Routh also apparently wrote a 291-page book last year about his disillusionment surrounding Ukraine, according to an Amazon listing that was selling the tome for $2.99.

The book, which purports to be about Ukraine’s “unwinnable war” and the “fatal flaw of democracy,” includes pages of graphic photos, including beheadings, dead children and bloodied corpses. In a section of the book focused on Iran, the author said he “must take part of the blame” for electing Trump.

“You are free to assassinate Trump as well as me for that error in judgment and the dismantling of the deal,” the book said.

Reader takes issue with headline

As the Public Editor for The Dallas Morning News, I act as the bridge between our newsroom and our audience to help build trust through transparency and accountability.

The Dear Public Editor feature spotlights some of the common questions I receive from readers.

When they contact me, I reach out to colleagues in the newsroom — and sometimes offer my own analysis — to provide answers. Emails here are edited for clarity and brevity.

Dear Public Editor:

I am appalled at a headline in today’s [Sept. 17] paper: “Sense of duty apparently drove suspect.”

It sure makes it seem like you thought the assassination attempt suspect was doing the right thing. My least favorite thing about the DMN is the word choice used in headlines and in articles that are inflammatory. Not cool! Angie Constantine

In any given week, The Dallas Morning News publishes some 700 headlines in print and on dallasnews.com, most of which do a fine job of drawing readers into our content.

They generally draw little to no attention.

Last Tuesday, one did attract the ire of many readers, several of whom contacted me.

They were angry about a headline that inaccurately ascribed a seemingly heroic motive to Ryan Wesley Routh, the man suspected of hiding alongside former President Donald Trump’s golf course for nearly 12 hours, awaiting a chance to attempt to assassinate the former president.

The News immediately acknowledged the “egregious error” and promised to review “our practices to ensure such an error does not occur again.”

Late last week, we asked Executive Editor Katrice Hardy and Managing Editor Amy Hollyfield about that review and the resulting changes.

Those changes add up to this: more eyeballs will see — and scrutinize — all headlines, particularly those on politics stories.

What does that look like?

Among other things, each evening all politics stories will now be shared with scores of newsroom staffers (including editors, reporters, photographers and graphic artists).

That, Hollyfield said, will ensure that “high-level editors like myself will get to review them and offer feedback.”

And our multiplatform editors (the team of people who write our headlines) will now start their nightly review meeting earlier, allowing them to spend more time going over presidential campaign stories.

Maybe most important, all editors have been “encouraged to please speak up and voice any concerns even if they are unsure if what they are raising should be discussed,” Hardy said.

“The slightest amount of doubt is worthy of conversation.

Our editors do a great job of reading hundreds of stories a month, and of carefully crafting headlines. The extra layers are meant to fine-tune our process even more.”

Email public.editor@dallasnews.com

[doktor-klaustus]

"You can talk about crimefighting and beat the piss out of Blockbuster, Vigilante, Heartless, and the street gangs all you want, Nightwing, but the BCPD is not having things your way. We're not Gotham, and the Batman will not save you from... us. We will... make you pay!"

"Go fuck yourselves."

"Be careful what you wish for. You will get it, and we have qualified immunity. My hand is already near your nipple, and you cannot stop me!"

"I can explore of who and what I am without you, pig. You will get more than what you bargained for."

"You don't want any more charges than what you got, Nighttwink. You're only making things... harder."

[usagirotten]

The Bat-Man: First Knight - A Pulp Noir Journey to Gotham’s Roots

In the shadowed alleys of 1939 New York City, a masked vigilante prowls, seeking justice in a world teetering on the brink of chaos. The Bat-Man: First Knight takes us back to Batman’s earliest days when he was more pulp hero than a billionaire playboy. Writer Dan Jurgens and artist Mike Perkins masterfully weave a tale that pays homage to the Golden Age while adding a modern twist.

The Gritty Origins

Remember the Batman who drove a red sedan instead of the Batmobile? The one with purple gloves and no Alfred? That’s the Bat-Man we encounter in this series. He’s a powerless crimefighter, navigating a city where even Gotham doesn’t exist yet. His rogues’ gallery is a motley crew of strange crooks, and survival is a daily struggle.

Nods to Detective Comics

Jurgens and Perkins lovingly sprinkle the narrative with nods to early Detective Comics. Julie Madison, Bruce Wayne’s fiancée, makes her debut here. The red sedan, Batman’s trusty wheels, roars through the streets. And those internal monologues? They fill the empty air, compensating for the lack of a supporting cast.

Setting the Stage

The real-world New York City serves as our backdrop. But it’s not just any NYC—it’s 1939, a time of unease and uncertainty. The rise of Nazism casts shadows, even across the Atlantic. Batman’s quest for justice intertwines with the world’s turmoil, making this more than a mere superhero story. Bat-Man: First Knight, is notable for its timeliness. While the background is different, the United States of 2024 faces similar turmoil stemming from police corruption and overseas conflict. It will be interesting to see how future issues draw parallels between the politics of yesteryear and today, within the context of Batman’s battles. The Bat-Man: First Knight #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on March 5, 2024.

  Read the full article

[jordli]

@sunsupe ╱ starter call.

they're in a hurry. both to get the fuck out of dodge and retreat back to their dorm, but also to send the notes on starlight's speech to professor brinkerhoff before the clock strikes noon. [if they took one glance up and the clock said eleven— they were going to have a heart attack.] they needed coffee. and possibly a bump. but one problem to solve at a time. hastily making their way into the student union's jitter-bean, it doesn't take a magazine or television to recognize the yellow and white cladded woman in front of them. starlight! [they'd be more surprised if they hadn't seen her a mere ten minutes ago from the back of a crimefighting lecture hall.]

“my parents are paying seventy-seven thousand dollars a semester for me to listen to you— a non-alumni giving me a speech on how to become a superhero. where my morals should lie.” a big build-up for an incoming insult? “but, fuck— you gave a good speech. better than the deep's, at least. the last time he was here, the lecture hall smelled like tuna for a week.”

[luckyhyuki]

Living Legends (Burning Through The Nights, Paying The Price)

LIVING LEGENDS (BURNING THROUGH NIGHTS, PAYING THE PRICE) BY mfalfanclub

SITE: AO3

PAIRING: DONG SICHENG X NAKAMOTO YUTA

RATING: MATURE

WORD COUNT: 72.6K

“As an ER nurse, Yuta rarely gets repeat patients. Anyone who comes in more than once typically either has a chronic condition or gets arrested. But Winwin, who shows up sporting a brand-new injury every time the city's mysterious masked crimefighters are spotted out and about, is anything but typical.“            

[creatoriginsane]

Sharing because I am back and better (worse) than before!

Keiko has a lot!! She's the one who created Kaede's "The Angel of the Underworld" after all. And calling Sanzu a "dog like her". And calling Ran a "golden piece of shit". She's creative that way.

Keiko, obviously, because she's taken so many names, but what she enjoys the most is being called the Mad Dog because it's just… classic.

Teresa! Because that isn't actually even her real name. "Teresa von Borcken" is such a pretty name, that the Howling Dog of Hell, Marchosias chose to remain with it for centuries.

Shikai, because she's a storyteller. Duh? And she likes the mystique of it all; Shikaku no Shikai. It all depends on how "shikaku" is written. Is it "vision"? "Assassin"? "Dead space"?

Yuriko. At the start, she's swaying between being what she's supposed to be and being what she wants to be. But in the end, and spoiler, she does what is best… which is to be what she needs to be. So, of course, she takes her work (and her tragedy) with her all the time. But she still has time to go out into the world and go on "dates that aren't supposed to be dates but actually are."

Akari, she's doing odd jobs here and there, but the real work that does pay bores her. She doesn't want to be kept in a dark room with bright, bright screens forever. And sure, control of surveillance is almost powerful, but not if she can't do anything about it.

Setsuna wanted to be both like Kamen Baika (in-universe Kamen Rider) and Jackson Bond (in-universe James Bond) when she was younger because, who wouldn't want to a masked crimefighter and an international spy at the same time? However, she does learn that there's a reason why their stories are so fantastic and amazing… because they're not as real as the situation she's in.

Varhela would tell you something that sounds it's out of a history book, I feel. She'll describe everything in detail, all emotions, all sights, and you'll fall asleep not because of the length or the droll, but because her voice is just… sleep-inducing.

Fumiko would tell you she doesn't know what it would be, but everyone knows it would be from her childhood.

Senryu would tell you it's about the time she was sent to another universe and got… well… fucked.

1. What, if any, nicknames does your OC have for the people in their life?

2. Which OC brags about a nickname they've been given?

2a. What do they find brag-worthy about it?

3. Which OC goes only by a nickname?

4. Which OC gave themself a new name at some point in their life?

4a. Was there anything that drew them to choosing that specific name?

5. Do any of your OCs take their occupational title/role particularly seriously?

5a. How much of their work responsibilities do they 'take home' with them? What does their downtime and/or social life look like?

6. Do any of your OCs take their occupational title/role particularly unseriously?

6a. How busy or slow is their place of work, usually? What's the worst case scenario for them neglecting their responsibilities?

7. Is there an in-universe story or character your OC strongly identified with at any point?

7a. If not, were they or their situation ever accurately compared to that story/character by someone else? If so, how did they feel about it?

8. If asked to make up a bedtime story, what would your OC come up with?

9. What would your OC consider a good dream?

10. What would your OC consider a nightmare?